I made it…finally!! After
an eventful (and worrisome) ride out west, I finally made it. I’ve taken many a road trip in my little car
(Indiana, Canada, and numerous trips back and forth between MN to WI), and with
this trip I expected things to go along just as smoothly. However, the one
lesson I’ve learned from this road trip is not to underestimate the possibility
of planning for unexpected events to happen.
Mo mere and I set out as planned on Sunday morning and made
it all the way to Cheyenne, WY the first night, no problems. All through
Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska there were cows, hitch hikers, more cows, lots of
fishing holes, and lots of rosaries on the review mirrors of people’s cars. I
joked about the rosaries at the time, but about half way through the road trip
I wished we’d have had one on mirror or the card of St. Christopher. Come the
next morning, we set off again, no problems. Or so we thought…
We didn’t get much more than 100 miles from Cheyenne before
the temperature gauge on the car’s dashboard shot above the red zone. I looked
behind me a short while later to see steam or smoke (we couldn’t tell which at
the time!) started billowing out of the hood of the car. I pulled over and the
two of us scrambled to get everything out of the car in case it was smoke.
We were in the middle of nowhere, on the side of the road,
with a steaming/smoking car. And what to do?
All too often I take for granted that we are fortunate to
live in such a connected world. I often spout off how I wish I could chuck my
phone into a lake or a river or that living in a cabin in the middle of woods
is where I want to be. While both of these are true, I also enjoy the fact
there is some measure of connection. Even before we made a call on the cell
phone, someone else passing by on the freeway (probably a trucker) called into
dispatch and not more than ten minutes later a state trooper was pulling over
to assist us.
About an hour later a tow truck was on its way and carried
us to Rawlins, WY where we spent the next 24 hours. The radiator in the car
fully needed to be replaced and there was the possibility of even more
problems, but those couldn’t have been detected without the radiator being
fixed. At the time, it felt as though the end of the world (or something close
to it) was near. No transportation and ‘stranded’ for lack of a better word. First-world
problem.
It definitely was not the end of the world as it turns out.
While we were impatient at the time because of the time crunch and for not
having control of the situation, there was absolutely nothing we could have done
to make the problem resolve itself any faster. And resolve itself it did…though
not after making a large dent on funds.
We were soon on our way again.
Utah was beautiful to drive through. I’ve never explored the
state but if I can swing it, I’d love to see more of it. As we drove by the
Great Salt Lake it reminded me of the Aegean Sea. It was between a medium blue
tinged with a light green. Driving by, I also saw lots of Black-Necked Stilts,
a really neat shore bird with long and thin red legs found near open shallow
water. They were some of my favorites from working at the zoo last summer. The
salt flats were also quite a sight, at least for someone so accustomed to lush,
green landscapes. After Salt Lake, the flats stretched for almost 70 miles!
Nevada is also beautiful, a lot more so than I originally
thought it would be. We drove across northern Nevada, where most of the work I’ll
be doing this summer will be located. A lot of Sagebrush. Of course there is
much more than Sagebrush, but from the car window that was the most of what I
could see.
Likewise, Reno is also a beautiful city, vibrant and
glittering with all the lights from the casinos at night, views of snow-capped
mountains to the south and the Truckee River flowing right through the heart of
the city. There will much to do and take advantage of while here for the summer—recreation,
food, and culture-wise J
I’m still looking out across the valley trying to wrap my mind around the fact
that I’m back in the mountains!
My fellow technicians and I are currently taking part in the
‘culture’ aspect by staying on the 20th floor of the Harrah hotel
and casino. The Harrah is almost like its own self-sufficient little city with
all the amenities you’d ever need inside the larger city. It’s not quite our
style, but the views are amazing. The three of us are going a little stir-crazy
being in the city, but tomorrow will be our first hike in the mountains to help
condition and get acclimated to the higher elevation. There are two lowlanders
(myself included) on this crew! I’ve already had a bloody nose, which is always
attractive! No more since though!
There will be more to come. For now, sleep is beckoning even
in this 24-hour city.
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